MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. IS;; 



remedies. There has also beeu a prevalent notion that the chenopodiuni phint 

 could only be grown in certain parts of Maryland. It is true that the Maryland 

 oil may be of a higher grade, but the oil distilled from plants grown at Ann 

 Arbor show a remarkably high efficiency, . and it is not ;it all unlikely that 

 when we secure seeds of the best variety and properly understand the distilla- 

 tion, the oil from Michigan will be an important commercial source of the oil. 

 The oil apparently is produced in hairs on the immature seeds, being held 

 within a thin bladdery fruit wall which encases the whole. The worm-seed 

 plant is cut down, dried and the fruits separated by means of threshing. 



14. Coix lacryma-JoU L. (Job's tears). This plant belongs to the grasses, 

 and is indigenous to the East Indies and Japan. The so-called seed is really 

 a fruit, being nearly spherical, aboue one-quarter inch in diameter, shining, 

 white and very hard. It is sometimes used in the making of necklaces for 

 teething children, the impression being that they will cut their teeth more 

 easily. I suppose, however, that the children use it like orris root or other 

 hard substance in rubbing it against the gums, thus facilitating teething. 



15. Conium Maculatum L. (Poison hemlock). The small fruits of this 

 plant are said to have beeu used' by the Athenians to destroy the life of con- 

 demned individuals. An infusion was used to kill Socrates and Phociou. It 

 has been used as a medicine since very ancient times, the fruit and leaves 

 both being used. It is a rather pretty plant, having large decompound leaves 

 and umbels of small white flowers. The fruits are gathered when full grown, 

 but while still green. The leaves should be gathered at the time of the flower- 

 ing of the plant, quickly dried and carefully preserved. 



16. Datura vieteloides.. Dc. This is a tropical species, having all the 

 appearances and properties of our common Jimson weed. It is, however, a 

 more robust plant, branching profusely and bearing very large white flowers. 

 On account of its high yield of alkaloids it might profitably be hybridized with 

 our native Jimson weed. In fact, there are a great many tropical forms of 

 Daturas which have been successfully cultivated and are used for decorative 

 purposes. They are nearly all rich in alkaloids. Hardly any of these tropical 

 species have become naturalized, as the seeds apparently will not over-winter, 

 but one of them. Datura Metel, L. is becoming somewhat frequent in waste 

 ground. 



17. Datura Stramonium L. and Datura Tatula L. (Jamestown or Jimson 

 Weed). These are two rather common and rank weeds. The leaves and 

 flowering branches are official. These plants are good examples of the desira- 

 bility of cultivating, even such common and v^'idcspread plants. The com- 

 mercial drug varies very greatly in its alkaloidal content, and in cultivating 

 it, it is expected that desirable strains may be obtained of miiformly high 

 activity. It has been found that the application of certain nitrogenous ferti- 

 lizers will cause a perceptible increase in the amount of active principles. But 

 the results are not yet conclusive, so experiments are being conducted in this 



